Air-brake system



'(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. H. BROOKMIRB, Jr. AIR BRAKE SYSTEM,

No. 558,670. Patented Apr. 21', 1896. I

ANDREW B.GRAHAM. PHOTO'U'MQWASHINBTONUC.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets Sheet 2.

J. H. BROOKMIRB, Jr. AIR BRAKE SYSTEM.

- No. 558,670. Patented Apr. 21, 1896.

(No Model.) 3'Sheets-Sheet J. H. BROOKMIRE, Jr.

AIR BRAKE SYSTEM.

Patented Apr. 21

AN DREW B.GRh"AM,PHUTO'UTHQWASHINGYON. DC

JAMES II. BROOKMIRE, JR.

Z'ATENT Fries,

, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

AIR-BRAKE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,670, dated April21, 1896.

Application filed October 31, 1894. Serial No. 527,595. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES II. BROOKMIRE, J r., residing at the-city ofSt. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Air-Brake Systemsfor Street and other Cars, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates primarily to the method of mounting air-pumps onstreet and other cars to supply compressed air for braking purposes; butI do not desire to restrict myself to its use in that particular field.

The invention is particularly applicable to the types of cars now beingused, where the car-axles are so occupied by electric motors and theirgearing that the known styles of pumps journaled on an axle and operatedby. the rotation of the same cannot be used for want of adequate space;but my invention is also an improvement on the old proposed forms ofsaid mounting, even where there exists ample room for such pumps on theaxle between the wheels. I have discovered what I consider to be twofundamental defects in all prior proposed methods of mounting suchpumps, and these are as follows:

First. \Vhen located beneath the car upon the driving-axle between thewheels, the pump is inconveniently located, is inaccessible, and isfrequently cramped for room or impracticable for lack of space.

Second. In all methods heretofore proposed the pump has not beenproperly mounted, so that these systems or proposed plans have allproved to be commercially impracticable. For instance, it has been foundto be desirable to mount the pump directly upon one of the car-axles byboxes or bearings and to drive the pump directly from said axle by meansof eccentrics or their equivalent; but in order to mount the pump inthis way and yet have it independent of the movements of the car-body ortruck-frame and other axle or axles it is necessary to connect the pumponly loosely with some portion of the carbody or truck-frame or otheraxle than that upon which the pump is journaled. When thus looselyconnected, however, the vibratory movement of the pump, due to thereciprocating action of the piston against the air-pressure in theair-reservoir, produces a constant thumping or pounding at such looseconnection, causing disagreeable noise and deleterious action upon theworking parts of the pump, which it is one of the objects of myinvention to prevent, While yet preserving the loose connection of thepump with the remainder of the vehicle outside of its point of supportupon the driving-axle on which it is journaled.

The first difficulty I obviate by journaling the pump upon itsdriving-axle outside of the wheels through the instrumentality of one ofthe axle boxes or bearings supporting the car, or axle-boxes, as theyare technically termed, and this I do by forming said pump in one with,or rigidly attaching it to, said car-box or hearing, hereinafter calledaxle- .box throughout specification and claims.

I wish to define the term axle-box as meaning the box or bearin ginwhich the journals of the car-axles revolve and upon which the car iscarried. The axle-box is usually fitted with. a removable brass and hasa chamber for waste and oil and is held in pedestals on car-body ortruck-frame.

The second difficulty I obviate by making the connection between thepump and the remainder of the vehicle-such as the carbody or truck-frameor non-drivin g ax.le,which restrains the pump-an elastic as well as aloose connection, which, while providing for all necessary movements atthe point of such connection, yet takes up anylost motion, such as wouldresult in the annoying and deleterious pounding or thumping abovereferred to. I have found by actual experiments that it is absolutelynecessary to thus elastically connect and restrain the pump, because ofthe peculiar upward and downward and varying vibratory movements of thepump with each rotation of the axle. I have found that the action of apump working against the pressure of the air-reservoir introduces newconditions and phenomena which have apparently never before beenappreciated. by any experimenters, and I believe it is the ab sence ofadequate and satisfactory provision of means of avoiding the bad resultsof such phenomena which has militated against the adoption of any of theheretofore-proposed systems of air-brakes for street and other cars ICOin which the pump is journaled upon one of the axles which serves toactuate the pump.

Although pumps have heretofore been proposed to be mounted by boxes orbearings upon an axle of the car, which latter drives the pump, and witha loose connection be tween the pump and the remainder of the vehicle, Iam not aware that this connection has ever been made elastic as well asloose, and it is in this way that I secure the desired result, and whichconstitutes apart of my said invention. In this way the pump and theaxle upon which it is j ournaled are made absolutelyindependent of themovements of the other axle or axles and of the car-body or truck-frame,and the operative relationship of the various working parts of the pumpis preserved without the introduction of torsional stresses and strains,and .at the same time the noise is avoided, and the pump is relievedfrom the shock, jars, and pounding due to the peculiar erratic vibratoryaction of the pump under to-and-fro excursions of its piston against theair-pressure of the airreservoir.

Another feature of my said improvement consists in utilizing theordinary axle-boxes as a means of journaling the pump upon the car-axle.In this way I avoid having to make additional journals upon the car-axleand I utilize the bearings of the car on such axle to also constitute abearing for the pump, so that this feature of my improvement is attainedwhether the pump be located outside of or between the wheels. Bylocating the pump outside of the wheels, however, I secure for it alocation where it can be constantly seen and conveniently receive propercare an d attention, while at the same time avoiding the difficulty oflack of space between the wheels.

The improvement, which consists in providing an elastic as well as aloose connection for the pump with the car-body or truckframe, is ofcourse applicable whether the pump is located outside of or between thewheels.

I attain the foregoing objects in the manner and by the devicesillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents aplan view of the systern as seen from above; Fig. 2, a side view of arailway-truck with the pump mounted on one of the axles thereof andelastically connected with the frame of said truck. Fig. 3 shows a planof the combined pump and axle-box detached from its connection with thecar axle and truck. Fig. 4 is a side view of Fig. 3, looking toward theaxle-box side of the pump. Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. 3, looking fromthe eccentric end toward the cylinder end of the pump. Fig. 6 is avertical longitudinal section of said pump mounted in the mannerdescribed. Fig. 7 is a horizontal longitudinal section of said pumpmounted in the manner described. Fig. 8

is an irregular transverse vertical section through part of a car-axleand one of its wheels and said combined pump and box mounted in themanner described. Figs. 9 and 10 show different methods of allowing forthe lateral play of the car-axle without interference with the action ofthe pump. Fig. 11 is a transverse section through was of Fig. 10.

Similar reference-numerals refer to similar parts throughout the severalviews.

1 is the pump-casing; 2, the axle-box, which the pump-casing is formedin one with or rigidly attached to.

3 is the cylinder end of the pump, and 4 the eccentric end of the pump.

5 is the air-reservoir; (3, the brake-cylinder 7, the engineers valve;8, the truck-frame or car-frame; 9, the driving-motor; 10, pipeconnecting the governing-valve on the pump with the engineers valve; 11,pipe connecting the engineers valve with the air-reservoir; 12, pipeconnecting the engineers valve with the brake-cylinder; 13, pipeconnecting the cylinder of the pump with the air-reservoir.

l-l and 15 are flexible sections of pipe to admit of independent motionsof the pump and car-body or truck-frame.

1G is a lug or lugs upon the pump to which the spring connecting thepump with the truck or car frame may be attached.

17 is a similar lug or lugs upon the truckframe. I

18 is the spring connecting the pump with the car-body or truck-frame.

In Figs. 3 and 5, 19 is a removable side plate rendering accessible themovable parts of the pump.

In Fig. 6, 20 is the piston; 21, the crank or eccentric shaft and strap;22, the eccentric; 23, the car-axle; 24, the bearing; 2, the axlebox;26, the axle-box frame or pedestals; 27, the suction-port of the pump;28, the (lischarge-port of the pump.

In Fig. 8, 29 is the oilingport.

I do not wish to confine myself to making the pump-casing in one with orrigidly attached to an axle-box, as it may be formed in one with orattached to a simple bearing upon which the car is supported without anybox or receptacle for oil and waste. I therefore use the expressions boxor bearing as alternative terms; or the pump could be fastened to thebrass bearing in the ordinary box.

I wish to cover, broadly, the principle of utilizin g the regularaxle-journal which has bearing in the axle-box as a journal for theairpump which the axle operates; also of using the axle-box as a bearingto journal the airpump on the axle which is to operate it.

The eccentric or its equivalent may be fastened to the car-axle in anyway found to be most desirable. I have shown it in Fig. 8 as screwedinto the end of the car-axle and fastened by means of a pin 30, while inFig. 10 I have shown it as formed in one with or at- IIO tached to asleeve 31, which slides over the journal of the car-axle and isprevented from rotating therewith by means of a key 32.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 10 the lateral play of the axle isprovided for and limited by this construction, the axle being allowed toplay back and forth in the sleeve 31, while the relationship between theeccentric and the eccentric-strap an d its rod is maintained constant.

In Fig. 9 I show an arrangement whereby relative motion is allowedbetween the eccentrio and the eccentric-strap and its rod, and betweenthe latter and the piston by reason of the joint 33 in conjunction withthe curved surface of the eccentric, as shown at 34. This arrangementprovides for the lateral motion of the car-axle, or end play, as it issometimes called. In Fig. 8 this lateral play is provided for by makingthe eccentricstrap narrower than the groove in the eccentric andallowing the strap to slide or play back and forth upon the eccentric.Any of these principles of construction, or any other suitable principleof construction, may be adopted which will ad-- mit of the necessary endplay of the car-axle, while not interfering with the proper operation ofthe pump, without departing from the spirit of my invention, as I do notwish to limit myself to any specific details of construction. Thenatural clearance or play between the axle-box and axlebox frame orpedestal will allow sufficient rocking motion of the axle box or bearingto admit of the vibratory action of the pump, heretofore referred to, asa very slight clearance at this point will admit of considerable extentof motion at the free end of the pump remote from the drivingaxle onwhich it is journaled; or special provision for this oscillation may bemade by making the box or bearing round or oval rather than square orrectangular.

I am aware that the combination of a car axle, a pump-piston,power-transmitting mechanism connecting said axle and piston, and acasin g supported at oneend and adapted to be supported on the car-bodyat the other end, entirely enveloping the said power-transmittingmechanism and having the expanded part adapted to exclude dust from saidmechanism and a part forming a pumpcylinder is old to this art, and I donot claim same as part of the invention herein disclosed, which has forits main objects the elastic restraint of an air-pump journaled on acar-axle and operated by said axle, said restraint being between pumpand car-body or other non-rotatin g part of car, and the utilization ofthe ordinary axlejournal as the journal for the air-pump which the axleoperates.

Having now fully described the purposes and manner of carrying out myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In a pump to be operated by the rotation of a car-axle, apump-cylinder or casing formed in one with or rigidly attached to anaxle-box.

2. An axle-box made in one with a pumpframe arranged to receive thecomponent parts of the pump mechanism. v

3. A pump-casing and cylinder, reciprocating parts, connections andvalves, in combi* nation with an axle box or bearing formed in one withor made fast to said casing and designed to replace the ordinaryaxle-box.

4:. The combination of a car-axle, and a pump designed to be operated bysaid car-axle and journaled thereon through the instrumentality of theordinary axle-box.

5. The combination of a car-axle, and a pump designed to be operatedbysaid car-axle and journaled thereon through means of the ordinaryremovable bearing in the axle-box.

6. An air-pump operated by the rotation of a car-axle, and journaledupon said axle by means of the ordinary axle-box journals of the axle,substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

7. A car in combination with a car-axle therefor, having a crank oreccentric attached to said axle adapted to operate an air-pump carriedalong with said car and journaled on said axle by means of the ordinaryaxle-box.

8. A car in combination with a car-axle therefor, having a crank oreccentric attached to the end of said axle and adapted to operate anair-pump carried along with said car, and journaled on said axle bymeans of the ordinary axle-box.

9. A car-axle and a crank or eccentric attached thereto outside of thewheels, in combination with an air-pump cylinder and casing thereforformed in one with or attached to one of the axle boxes or bearings ofsaid car-axle, a piston in said cylinder operated by said eccentric orcrank, springs elastically restraining said pump, and induction andeduetion valves for said pump, substantially as and for the purposesherein set forth.

JAMES H. BROOKMIRE, J R.

\Vitnesses W. F. RICHARDS, T. O. HUGHEs.

